Insight Ready Takes NebuAd Baton

Key personnel from behavioural targeting firm NebuAd, which ceased trading on Friday, are launching a new UK-based company called 'Insight Ready', according to reports.

NebuAd announced yesterday that it was to close after facing federal scrutiny and a lawsuit which argued that trials of its technology violated web users' privacy. This led to the firm abandoning development of its behavioural advertising technology last autumn.

However, NebuAd's Commercial Director Tony Evans is working with Insight Ready as a consultant, while former NebuAd UK MD Paul Goad now becomes its MD.

NebuAd's previous UK phone number diverts to the new company, and a domain check of Insight Ready's web site holding page reveals that it was registered by NebuAd last November.

At the time, NebuAd launched a product called 'Insight Platform'; described as a multi-channel audience-driven ad platform providing information analysis and audience segmentation.

Similarly, the new firm uses information based on web users' online activities to provide its web partners with anonymous data analytics relating to web pages or ad clicks, as well as audience segmentation services.

Unlike NebuAd, the new firm will not collect data from inside ISP networks, but will instead, collect behavioural data in partnership with web site owners. This will be anonymised and sold on to ad networks, with the proceeds divided between the networks and Insight Ready.

The firm states that information collected from web users outside the US 'may be subject to access requests by governments, courts or law enforcement'.

In the UK, debate continues about ISP-level targeting, with privacy advocates objecting to the regulators' view that technology can be implemented legally.

The European Commission has now launched legal action against the UK Government, over its failure to force behavioural ad technology firm Phorm to comply with EU data protection and privacy rules. World Wide Web creator Sir Tim Berners-Lee and others have voiced concern about Phorm's tracking of users' browsing habits, and telecoms giant BT still faces criticism for running secret trials of Phorm's service with 18,000 unsuspecting customers.

Web site: www.insightready.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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